Learning Curve
by Macx
Summary: movie-verse fic. Lennox confronts his fears and bad dreams in his own way... Rating for later scenes. Part of the Imperfection 'verse
1. Chapter 1

TITLE: Learning Curve, part 1  
SERIES: Imperfection Deviation  
AUTHOR: Macx  
RATING: mild R  
DISCLAIMER: None of the characters belong to me, sadly. They are owned by people with a lot more money :)  
FEEDBACK: Loved  
SUMMARY: There was a whine like a gun charging and Will reacted out of instinct. His body moved without a second thought, with his skin taking on a different hue – that of the Allspark – and the energy ball flew toward his attacker.

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The unmarked road, only printed on the maps of the Geological Survey Bureau, was bumpy and rarely used by anyone but people from the GSB or the soldiers from the near-by Airforce base. A huge, black truck was bouncing over the potholes and dirt and stones. It was streaked with dirt, but it didn't look old or rusted. It was a very new and impressive truck, a truck not of this world.

Lennox was at the wheel, but he wasn't driving. He had a hand on the steering wheel, looking at the rather monotone world outside, but he wasn't as bored as he appeared to be.

A rune crept over the back of his hand, sliding down his index finger and disappearing. He moved the finger, as if trying to chase the rune out of hiding, but instead a whole string wrapped itself around his palm.

A hum could be heard and Lennox smiled. "Feel it?" he asked lightly.

"No, but I can read it," Ironhide replied. "You're tired."

Lennox raised his eyebrows. "I am?"

"We trained for hours. Your body needs rest."

The human shrugged. Sure, they had really trained hard, but he didn't feel as beaten up and groggy as he had a few years ago.

"You also haven't slept much lately."

He sighed. Ironhide was way too perceptive sometimes. "You know I don't need sleep like humans do."

"But you do need it."

Lennox frowned, but he tried not to rise to the bait.

"Will..."

"Bad dreams," he answered cryptically.

Another pothole had him bounce and wince. Ironhide made an unhappy noise, but there was no other road and the shock absorbers could only keep so much from them.

The sun was setting, but it was an hour or more till sunset. They would make it back before nightfall. Tomorrow was solo training. There were a few things he wanted to try out. Mainly to get rid of some tension that had been creeping up on him through the nightmares. Bad dreams. Whatever. He could hardly launch all he had at his partner.

Lennox ran his fingers lightly over the steering wheel, grinning as he felt subtle vibrations running through the truck. It was something he had discovered just after a year of being a hybrid: he could somehow reach a part of Ironhide by just… letting the runes play. Right now they had coalesced around his fingers and were playfully dancing over his skin.

Ironhide hit a pothole particularly hard and Will laughed as he almost hit his head on the ceiling.

"If you think this will distract me," the Autobot warned.

"It already did."

A grumbled mutter was the only reply.

They arrived at Yuma base and Will got out, grinning at his partner as he transformed.

"You: get some rest," Ironhide ordered.

"May I shower first?" Will asked pointedly.

Blue optics flared. "Just get your aft into your quarters and get some rest."

"Yessir." Will flipped a sloppy salute and walked inside, meeting the amused red optics of Scavenger.

Ironhide stomped into a different area.

"What got him?" Scavenger asked.

"Nothing particularly new. Being a nanny again. I'm off to get some shut-eye. See you later."

Scavenger chuckled. "See you."

As before, he didn't really sleep. Even the long shower helped only marginally. The dreams kept him awake.

Will gave up after a while and just sat down with his laptop, catching up on his emails.

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It hadn't rained in days and the ground was hard and dry. Dust rose as hot, dry winds brushed over it, dancing over the yellowish earth. The sun was rising over the horizon and the first rays of its light tickled the dead bushes and stones. The shadows grew shorter.

_He was running faster than he had ever run before. He stumbled over protruding roots, stone and through little bushes, but he kept on running, aware that he was pursued by Ravage. The feline Decepticon symbiote was hot on his trail and if he didn't find a safe place, Ravage would get him. _

Will Lennox, former Army Ranger, hybrid by accident, Avatar Prime by Cybertronian name, and bonded to Ironhide, stood in a secure stance, legs braced for a blow, his whole body radiating tension. White-hot light reflected off his face, giving him an eerily pale appearance. Almost sickly. Eyes with a pinpoint of blue in their brown depths gazed at the almost perfectly round orb that hovered above the palm of his hand. No bigger than a golf ball, it seemed to pulse deep within, a white globe that should sizzle and crackle and still didn't make a sound.

_His breath was coming in gasps now. His muscles were burning, but he kept running. Branches slapped into his face, tore at his clothes. His foot suddenly caught in a larger root and he fell flat onto the ground, the wind knocked out of him. For several seconds he was only aware of the pain in his chest and the low oxygen supply, then he heard another thing beside the roaring in his ears. A snarl._

Carefully channeling more energy into the bubble, Will watched it grow to tennis ball size. Still it made no sound and he still had full control. Runes had collected around his hands, like intricate tattoos, and his whole body seemed to hum with energy.

_He turned around and saw Ravage coming out of the undergrowth. He moved gracefully, soundlessly except for a whisper of leaves he brushed by. His red optics glowed with triumph and he revealed sharp teeth. _

Curling his fingers, he seemed to grasp the ball, touching the energy-laden surface, but he felt no averse effects. It was almost like pushing into a gelatinous substance that soon didn't give any more. Or like a very smooth balloon.

_He grabbed a piece of branch that had been torn off a tree by the storm from some hours ago. It was still wet, just like the ground he lay on. He brandished the branch like a sword._

He fed it more energy.

The bubble grew in size once more, still white-hot, but now a crackle of energy licked over his fingers without causing pain. The runes were fixed now, a deep golden-bronze in color.

_Ravage's jaws made short work of his weapon, snapping it in half, tearing it out of his hands. He got to his feet, trying to make another run for it, but the symbiote effortlessly overtook him, planting himself in his way. He growled, advancing slowly. He was playing with him and sooner or later he'd jump for the kill._

He wriggled his fingers and the bubble danced a little, but it wouldn't push off or fly away.

Will raised his eyes and fixed them on a spot in the distance. He charged more energy into the bubble, then placed his other hand over it, like a Tai-Chi move, and released the ball.

It screamed across the desert and collided with the target, incinerating it. Nothing was left but smoking ruins.

_Cool._

Will went through the same motions again, charging the energy bubble, but instead of releasing it, he tried to reabsorb the energy.

It felt like a blow to the stomach.

Lennox screwed his eyes shut as pain raced through his body and he gasped, digging his feet into the ground to keep himself from getting pushed back. A hiss escaped his clenched teeth, then everything tilted and he fell forward as if all strings had been cut. He caught himself haphazardly with outstretched hands.

Silence was around him as dust settled.

He coughed.

And cursed softly.

"I'd say it's an improvement."

Will cracked his eyes open and glared at the tall figure not far away. All he could see were gray and tan colored metal feet and a dot of red.

But Mixmaster was right. He had improved. The last time he had tried this particular stunt he had ended in a rock face once again, blown back by the reabsorbed energy. It had to go somewhere and whenever he took it into himself, he was propelled away. It seemed his body was adjusting to the sudden increase of energy and simply converted it into a flash of pain.

"Still sucks," he groaned and got up, swaying a little on his feet.

A scan bounced off him and he was so tempted to hit Mixmaster with an energy blast because of it. The Constructicon just grinned.

"I'm fine," Lennox grumbled. "Just in pain. Nothing new there."

"Looking at your learning curve, you should be able to reabsorb your own energy without pain in the future."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

The massive mech grunted. "It's a fact. When you first started out, you nearly took yourself apart. Now look at you."

Will shrugged. Yes, he was learning. He just hoped that it would continue to be a positive learning effect without any negative surprises, because of those he had had enough.

The nightmares kept him coming back here, trying to improve his only defense. He needed to be able to take out mechs and symbiotes, and dreaming about Ravage chasing him sure gave him an incentive. He had defeated Soundwave before, and he had scared off the symbiotes, but Lennox knew that where there was a will, there was a way. If Soundwave wanted him, a way would be found to get him.

So he trained.

Moving his fingers, he watched energy flow between them like tendrils of light. The runes were clearly visible and would remain there for at least the next twenty-four hours after the training. For whatever reason. Creating a new bubble, he playfully rolled it around his palm, then transferred it to his other palm.

There was a whine like a gun charging and Will reacted out of instinct. His body moved without a second thought, with his skin taking on a different hue – that of the Allspark – and the energy ball flew toward his attacker. Mixmaster ducked and grinned more.

"Good reflexes, Prime."

Will growled, eyes white-blue, and barely took a second to become his protoform alternate shape. Mixmaster's shot went wide when he grabbed the gun arm and pushed it away, and then quickly moved out of the reach of the second hand.

"Not playing fair," he shot at the Constructicon.

"Just testing." Mixmaster rotated one wrist, nodding his approval. "Good instincts, very good reaction time."

Will mock-bowed.

"Try reabsorbtion now," Mixmaster suddenly told him.

"What?" The suggestions caught him as off guard as the blast nearly had.

"In protoform. All prior attempts were with you in human shape. You've never used your protoform."

The hybrid's optics narrowed, then he shrugged and created the energy bubble, charging it. Bracing himself, Will went through the same motions – and got nothing but a slight sizzle over his exterior shell this time.

Gaping, he stared at the Constructicon, who looked smug and amused and fascinated all in one.

"How did you know?"

"I didn't. It was as good an assumption as anything else. You usually train in human form. You only take on your other shape when you battle one of us or in a real fight against an enemy."

"Huh."

Mixmaster was right. He had never tried this any other way. Why, was anyone's guess.

"Hot damn," he murmured.

Mixmaster chuckled. "Glad to be of help."

Will was too stunned to say anything else. Even if he could never fully control the reabsorption in human mode, he would be able to handle it in protoform. And since his battle mode was the protoform, there shouldn't be any trouble.

Cool.

"This just came to you?" Lennox asked again.

"Actually, yes."

"So much for more advanced computing power." Will flexed his fingers and watched the lethal energy flicker once more. "At least now I know there's a way, even if it means I have to change shape. I'll still try and see if I can manage the other way, too."

Mixmaster nodded his acceptance. Will knew that the others would know about this soon, too. All five were his 'personal trainers'. Each had different abilities and each tested and challenged him differently. It was good to know that he had so many different styles to fall back on when he needed to train. He had made fast progress.

His abilities helped Hook and Scavenger in turn, too. They were the chief developers for the _Ark_'s shields and weapons. Hook was the chief engineer and spent a lot of his up on the space station together with Perceptor, always improving the systems. Scavenger mainly worked as a liaison to the Autobots and Stark Industries, and he would ask for Will's help in testing a new addition. So far Lennox had managed to scrap every new shield if he just threw enough at it, though the last time he had nearly keeled over from exhaustion.

Hook had declared the test a success.

Scavenger had agreed.

Will had just wanted to sleep for a week.

"Ready for more?" Mixmaster interrupted his thoughts.

"I was thinking about trying out a few ideas," Lennox nodded. "If you want to watch…"

"Got nothing planned. Go ahead."

"No unexpected moves," Will requested. "I don't want to blow you up, Mixmaster."

The Constructicon nodded. "Understood. I'll monitor."

So the hybrid went back to experimenting with the energy at his disposal.

Somewhere throughout that time Mixmaster moved against him again nevertheless.

_Never trust a Con_, ran through Will's head as he acted and reacted. _Never trust one of your teachers_, he added, negating the 'Con' part. Mixmaster had never willingly been a Decepticon and the time he had served Megatron had been enslavement.

Will nearly blew him up as he launched his counterattack, but Mixmaster was fast. A lot faster than his massive frame suggested, and like all of them he knew some very dirty tricks. That he also liked to throw his own concoctions of chemical bombs at him had Lennox move even faster and be a lot more alert. That stuff stung!

In the end Mixmaster looked like someone had pelted him really good and thoroughly, and there were some deep welts in his armor from head to feet, and Will felt every bruise.

But he was getting better.

And that was the whole point of the voluntary masochistic game.

tbc... 


	2. Chapter 2

  
Iron Man liked coming to Yuma for two reasons: he could blow things up and no one really bothered to say 'no'. He tested his own weapons and he tested those of the military against himself. Now and then he would also join a training session with the Constructicons, but he had learned fast that those guys weren't just genius architects and engineers; they were very imposing opponents. He was small and fast, but he was usually no equal to one of them. Iron Man had learned that rather fast after Scavenger had blown him out of the sky.

Yeah, it hurt.

Yeah, it smarted on his ego.

Yeah, it gave him ideas for improvement.

But altogether it showed him that even with a suit that was partially Cybertronian tech, so far advanced no one else understood it, and armored to take on a cruise missile, Iron Man was easily shot down by a direct hit.

Scavenger hadn't even had his weapon set to kill. It had been a medium blast and Tony had heard his brain explode. The shock wave of the hit had run through his body and his very soul.

That Lennox was a lot more resilient bugged him only slightly. The hybrid had completely different powers and abilities. Iron Man had his own advantages and the biggest was Extremis. He would have to work on the perception filter to make himself harder to see to Cybertronian optics, but Extremis also allowed him to at least temporarily stun an opponent, which was vital if he had to get out of a tight spot. Coordinating all of that in a fight was difficult. Pain overrode thought and one wavering moment was enough to make him a very easy target.

Today, Iron Man was at the Yuma Testing Ground in the official capacity of Tony Stark. He was in his armor and he was looking to get a few rounds of testing in, but nothing heavy. He had come here for the business end of his deal with the military, and he had spent hours sitting in conference rooms and listening to presentations, trying not to fall asleep, and biting down on some scathing commentary when it came to weapons developed by the military to work with Cybertronian tech.

Why did they never listen to the expert? Stark Industries had been working with hybrid tech for ages and Tony was hybrid tech, the embodiment of a functioning cooperation.

No, they wanted to try and fail on their own.

Tony had simply sighed, pointed out the flaws when he was asked for his input, and watched the scientists color with indignation. He didn't care. What he wanted was a working defense, a working cooperation, and an understanding of what was at stake here.

Right now Tony was sitting on a rocky ledge, watching Will Lennox experiment with his powers. He had brought along a box of donuts, eating a chocolate glazed one. The chocolate stuck to the gauntlets, but Tony didn't care. With sunglasses but no helmet, the full armor, and the sweets, he looked very much out of place. Legs dangling over the ledge, he enjoyed the show.

Something blew up not far away and he grinned around the next bite. Impressive. He had once tried to copy the amount of power one of Lennox's blows generated.

He had failed.

The man's energy output was stunning and that he could control it like that was plain amazing. If Will wanted to, he could turn a mech into a molten heap. Tony figured that some kind of basic, primal instinct held him back from doing it. Maybe it was the human part, too. Maybe it was his conscience.

Will's body was crackling with energy and it was racing across the protoform, not just his fingers or hands. His whole body seemed to generate it and when he discharged the lethal mass, it seemed to come from deep inside.

Mixmaster was watching, probably recording the sessions.

The sound of tires crunching on gravel had Tony glance over his shoulder. He stuffed the donut into his mouth as Scavenger transformed. The Constructicon sat down next to the armored human, legs over the ledge as well.

"Enjoying yourself?"

"Beats getting blown up myself."

"There's that. I think there are people who want to talk to you."

Tony glanced over the glasses at the mech. "You think?"

Scavenger smiled. "I know. Long Haul's getting sick and tired of the calls coming in. He disconnected the general comm. and switched everything back to emergencies only. Or anyone using a Cybertronian call code."

"Huh."

"I believe Ms. Potts mentioned she'd kill you if you don't get back to her."

"I'm on vacation. She told me to take time off after my mandatory sweet-talk with the military. I did."

"She phrased it differently."

"I bet."

Tony closed the donut box and switched on his cell through Extremis. He grimaced as he discovered about two dozen calls, half of which had been Pepper.

"Not a minute of peace. It's easier being a Prime than the CEO of your very own company."

Down in the desert something whistled and then exploded. Tony watched the proceedings with an appreciative eye.

"He's getting very good at this," Iron Man commented.

"Will has been training persistently and very hard. Mixmaster is a good teacher."

"He likes to blow things up."

"That helps."

Tony smiled and finished a second donut. He waited for the training sequence to be over. When it was, he launched himself down to the battle ground. Will looked tired but pleased, and Mixmaster nodded his approval. There were deep welts and grooves in the Constructicon's armor and Lennox looked like someone had tried to rearrange the shape of his protoform armor, but they were both still standing, which was a big plus.

"Hey," Tony greeted his fellow human Prime. "Donut?"

Will chuckled. "Did you enjoy the show?" He took one.

"Immensely. Especially since it was for free."

"We should start charging, then," Mixmaster rumbled.

"I pay in sweets."

The Constructicon snorted.

Will stole a second donut, apparently hungry. He still had his Allspark skin and his eyes were rather inhuman looking, but he was human-sized. Mixmaster transformed and drove off to where Scavenger was still watching them, and Tony and Lennox made themselves comfortable in the shade where Will's bag was. He took out a large bottle of water and took deep gulps.

"Anything in particular you came here for?" he asked.

"Nope. I had a meet-and-greet with the brass of the military, we exchanged pleasantries and phone numbers, and I thought I'd drop by and see what the guys are doing. I didn't know you were having your masochistic hour again."

Will chuckled. "Not masochistic. Necessary." He took another deep gulp. "Well, I need a shower. And something heartier than a donut to eat."

Tony nodded. "Want a lift back?"

It got him a frown.

"I can carry you, Will, no problem."

Lennox shrugged. "Sure. Never flew before. At least without an aircraft." He grinned lopsidedly.

Tony donned his helmet, wrapped an arm around Lennox's waist and Will held on with an arm looped over the armored shoulders. It was actually quite easy and far less terrifying than he had thought.

They touched down at the Constructicons' base and Lennox laughed. "Now I know why you like this so much, Stark. It's fun."

Tony raised the face plate and grinned. "I offered you a suit before."

Will waved him off. "No thanks. Still don't need it. I'd wreck it every time I use the protoform, but thanks anyway."

"If you ever change your mind…"

"Won't."

"Well, who knows? You might develop flying powers," Tony teased.

Will groaned. "Don't even suggest that! I'm still learning what being on the ground means."

Scavenger and Mixmaster arrived and transformed. Mixmaster walked back into the base for repairs and to get some energon restored. Lennox waved at Tony and followed. He really needed a shower and to change back into his completely human looks he would have to find some clothes next. He just hated being naked in front of everyone.

"Ms. Potts called again," Scavenger said conversationally. "She threatens to sic Jarvis on you if you don't call in. Her last words were quite… interesting. I think she broadened my horizon concerning the English language."

Tony laughed. "I bet. All right, I'll call. Was nice seeing you again, Scavenger."

"Likewise. Don't be a stranger."

Tony waved and closed the helmet, then launched himself into the air. He accelerated and was soon out of sight.

Will was headed for a shower. When he was in the human-sized area he finally changed his appearance and looked mostly human again, aside from the matrix tattoo on his back and the ever-present moving runes and glyphs. He dumped his bag on a bench outside the shower, switched on the shower and stepped under the pleasantly warm and pounding stream of water. A sigh of bliss escaped him.

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Ironhide didn't understand human sexual relationships any more than humans understood Cybertronian bonds and sharing. He had developed an understanding for his partner, though. Will was human and despite being a hybrid and displaying Cybertronian traits, his reaction to some things was very human. Ironhide had also noticed his own reaction to his partner.

Not always.

Not constantly.

Not out of context.

He didn't understand what 'love-sick' meant, though Sam had tried to explain it to him several years ago when the technopath had been very much involved with Mikaela Banes. Ironhide hadn't understood the emotion. He had thought it was a waste of energy and time.

Today, when looking at Lennox, he sometimes got a strange surge. He had analyzed it, or tried to anyway. He had wanted to know where it originated and had been unable to explain it to himself to his own satisfaction. Ratchet found nothing wrong with his system throughout regular checks.

It was simply a strange surge.

So he had started to act upon those surges and the encounters had ended in very intense sharing sessions, or sometimes in very pleasurable exchanges.

Ironhide didn't understand why. His race didn't rely on a biological need to procreate. They didn't create sparks. They didn't create life. All it did was bring him and Will together, bind them closer for that instant, leaving both relaxed and… well, yes, sated. Ironhide had found he felt more at balance, at ease… he was simply more like himself from before the war.

Curious.

Walking into the Constructicons' base he ignored Long Haul, who only shot him a brief look, then entered the human area. He transformed and parked in a corner, then enabled the hardlight form. He ventured into the quarters Lennox used when he was here and felt himself smile as he discovered his bonded fresh out of the shower.

Will had his back to him, showing the intricate Matrix tattoo quite openly, and as always it had Ironhide look in quiet awe. The power hidden within the wound-together runes had him shiver. He knew how powerful the Prime was, and that knowledge had nothing to do with their bond. This unsuspecting human, so small and fragile in appearance, harbored a power that had once been the Allspark. If Lennox wanted to, he could destroy a mech. He had always held back and Ironhide knew Soundwave would be a puddle today if Will wasn't a human being. He had a conscience.

And as always he reached for the dark curls and swirls of burned gold, bronze and almost black coloring. The runes didn't contract to the point of touch, but they seemed to pulse, like an invisible force pushing against his touch and then pulling him closer. Intricate, ornate, mysterious…

Will turned, shooting him an amused look. Ironhide smiled and slid an arm across the naked back and around his partner's chest, pulling him fully against him.

The reaction was instantaneous, the surge expected and wanted. Lennox shuddered against him with a soft curse.

"Not doing things slow today?" he managed.

"No," Ironhide only rumbled, the hologram rippling as the fully body contact against the Matrix runes had him almost short-circuit.

From the intensity he knew Lennox wasn't objecting either. He felt the energy between them, the energy residing inside the deceptively frail body of the Avatar Prime. Will had come in from an intense training exercise and he was radiating it.

Ironhide had never felt this way before with the mechs he had shared with in the past. It was something intimately theirs. Maybe this was what a Cybertronian bond felt like; he couldn't tell. He had never bonded and never would with one of his kind. Will Lennox was his bonded.

Will whispered his name in Ironhide's language just before the world took on a white hue and seemed to explode into parts, just to be sucked together once again – just differently. Ironhide felt the holoform waver and go into reduced energy mode, the black form with the blue optics, and he gazed at the slender human in his arms.

Lennox muttered 'bed' and he complied. Will was asleep moments after he hit the mattress, needing the rest after the fighting and the sharing. Ironhide just ran a gentle caress over the runes, smiling as they rose to the surface, just to disappear again. None made sense; they were all Allspark code.

Wrapped around his bonded, the weapons specialist felt his own systems relax, humming in perfect harmony with the soft pulses of the runes. He suddenly tensed and the hologram dissolved as his whole concentration was back outside and his mechanical body transformed. His cannons came out and whined as they charged. It all happened within a second.

Scrapper raised his hands, showing he wasn't carrying a weapon, and his visor flashed briefly.

"What?" Ironhide demanded gruffly.

"I came to see if Will is all right after Mixmaster gave me his report. I see that he is."

There was no way to see the smile that bordered to a smirk, but Ironhide heard it. He growled softly, cannons powering down, but he didn't relax his stance. Scrapper nodded once in acceptance, then left again, clearly amused. Ironhide grumbled and transformed, enabling the hologram. Will was awake, the runes faint and docile, aside from the permanent ones. Dark eyes watched as Ironhide came back.

"Trouble?" he asked.

"Nosy Constructicons."

It got him a chuckle. "I usually give Scrapper a brief 'hey, I'm back' after a sequence. He wanted to know if I'm okay, right?"

"Nosy," Ironhide repeated.

Will sat up, shrugging. "I appreciate it. Well, most of the time. Right now… inconvenient."

Ironhide pulled him up and close, hands splaying over the Matrix runes.

"You only want me for my code," Lennox teased.

The mech ran a finger up his partner's spine. Will shivered. His eyes took on a blue hue and Ironhide simply smiled.

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Scrapper ran into Hook as he went back to the main area of the base, and he immediately grabbed one shoulder and turned the other around.

"What?" Hook demanded, sounding irritable.

"Now is privacy time."

Hook didn't look happy about it. From the tablet he was carrying Scrapper deduced that his fellow Constructicon had been on his way to talk to Lennox about his performance with the energy absorption and the discovery that it was easier in protoform.

"Now," he repeated with a little more force.

Hook grumbled something under his breath and turned, allowing himself to be accompanied back to the labs.

Scrapper smiled.

Lennox needed some time to himself and Ironhide's presence within their base showed that the Autobot was a) aware of it and b) trusted them enough enter their base. Scrapper sent an order to all his men to leave Will alone for now.

Scavenger's reply was suggestive and amused, Mixmaster simply gave him an affirmative, Hook couldn't be bothered less, and Long Haul didn't reply at all.

Scrapper smiled and went back to his lab.

Lennox had earned himself some private time.

fin for this one 


End file.
